Review: Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 26, 2013)

Goodreads Description:

When Strangers In The Night

He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.

Become Lovers...

Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

Desire Is The Ultimate Danger

When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both.

***********************************

My Thoughts:

Lord of Darkness is book 5 in this series and it is one of the best in my opinion.  This whole series is great though and is definitely in my top 5 favorite historical romance series. If you haven't read the previous 4 books in the series I recommend that you do. It probably isn't really necessary in order to enjoy this book but I think going into this book you would have a better idea of some of the things talked about.

The slow building romance and love between the two main characters is my favorite part of the story. They both lost the people they loved and have trouble  moving past that grief. These characters are a perfect fit for each other and I really connected with them. The supporting characters were great in this story as well and I hope to read more about them in the future. 

Since Godric is the Ghost of St. Giles there was of course some action and heroics. It was just enough to be interesting without overshadowing the love story aspect. The set up for the next book was interspersed throughout the story. Just short snippets really but enough to get me very interested in the next book. I believe the story was perfectly balanced.

5/5

*I received this book for review from Netgalley. Any opinions expressed are my own*

Review: Magic at Midnight by Gena Showalter

Magic at Midnight by Gena Showalter

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (February 5, 2013)

Goodreads Description:

TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME 

Two charmed and sexy novellas set in Mysteria, the beguiling little Colorado town where magic is in the air and passions run high—and not because of the altitude . . . 

Hundreds of years ago, in the mountains of Colorado, Mysteria was founded by a random act of demonic kindness. Today, it’s a magnet for the supernatural, where magic quietly coexists with the mundane world. But now two sisters are about to unleash a tempest of seduction that will have tongues wagging for centuries to come . . . 

The Witches of Mysteria and the Dead Who Love Them 

Genevieve is a witch with a bad case of unrequited love for a local bar owner. But is his sudden change of heart the result of a love potion—or a literally breathtaking passion?

A Tawdry Affair 

Glory, witch of love, wants her man. Unfortunately, he barely knows she exists—until a magic pen brings her creative fantasies of seduction, sex, and delicious revenge to life.

*****************************************

My Thoughts:

How many times are they going to keep reprinting stories from Mysteria and Mysteria Lane? Last time it was Mysteria Nights which I was excited for and then was shocked after I got it and it turned out to just by Mysteria and Mysteria Lane combined into one book (2 books I already owned). Now Magic at Midnight is just the two novellas written by Gena Showalter from Mysteria and Mysteria Lane packed into this one book. When I saw a new book by Gena Showalter (my favorite author) and that it was based in Mysteria I didn't even bother to read more about it so it is definitely my fault that I now own 3 copies of both of these stories. I just hate when stories are repackaged over and over. It gets confusing.

The stories are obviously short but enjoyable. Nice little love stories involving witches and other paranormal creatures. I really hope that new short stories based in Mysteria get written or, even better, full length novels. If you haven't read about Mysteria I recommend buying Mysteria Nights instead of Magic at Midnight. With Mysteria Nights you get to read the all the stories written by the other authors as well.

I normally give a rating for books I've read but since this is just a repackaging I don't even want to bother with a rating.